News Brief
ISRO's Chandrayaan-4 Mission To Make India Fourth Nation To Bring Back Lunar Samples
Bhuvan Krishna
Mar 10, 2024, 02:06 PM | Updated 02:06 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for its next lunar mission, Chandrayaan-4, which aims to return moon rocks and soil (regolith) to Earth.
This mission will utilise two separate rockets — the heavy-lifter LVM-3 and ISRO's reliable workhorse PSLV — to carry distinct payloads for the same lunar mission, as per a report by The Economic Times.
The objective of Chandrayaan-4, as outlined in a recent presentation by ISRO chairman S Somanath at the National Space Science Symposium, is to collect samples from the lunar surface and safely return them to Earth for scientific studies.
Scheduled for launch no earlier than 2028, Chandrayaan-4 will make India one of the few nations capable of collecting samples from the lunar surface and safely bringing them back to Earth for analysis.
The mission will comprise five spacecraft modules: the propulsion module, descender module, ascender module, transfer module, and re-entry module.
This comprehensive setup sets Chandrayaan-4 apart from previous Moon missions, which typically involved 2-3 modules. Its primary objective is to collect lunar samples, which will provide valuable insights for scientific studies.
The successful completion of Chandrayaan-4 would establish India as the fourth nation globally to achieve the capability of returning samples from the lunar surface.
This ambitious mission underscores ISRO's commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and advancing India's position in space research and technology.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Bhuvan Krishna is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.